In squid gameThe protagonist Seong Ji-hoon is an unfortunate gambler who is presented with a dangerous chance to win his luck and turn his life around by playing deadly games for children with 456 other cashless players. Lee Jung-jae, who plays Seong, has almost nothing to do with his alter ego: he’s one of South Korea’s biggest stars with films like save us from evil Y with the gods Franchising and shows Chief of Staff Y Triple.
He humbly appreciates his abilities following the show’s sudden worldwide success and the number of award nominations he has received (including becoming the first male TV host to get a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for a role in an entirely different language than ‘English). . “I still don’t feel like my life has changed drastically,” she said. “But I hope to have more opportunities to work on more projects with great people.”
Lee had no representation in the United States at the time squid game It broke through and created a situation when a Netflix star showed up in Hollywood last night without a direct line. This soon changed when she signed the AAC in February. “After a few meetings I have come to the conclusion that we can be good partners,” she said. “I already get a lot of support from them. I’m very grateful. “
Lee now has a number of tools to replicate his huge Korean hit in the US and he believes interpreting audience stories these days gives him an even greater chance of making a good impression. “We live in an age where the ability to express emotions is more important to an actor than language skills,” he said. “I’m not fluent in English, but I don’t think it interferes with the expression of my characters’ emotions.”
Lee will make his directorial debut at Midnight Screening at the Cannes Film Festival. ᲜHunt, in which he plays a close friend, Jung Wu-sung, as an operator of the National Security Agency. Although the film, which he also wrote and produced, is an 1980s spy thriller about paranoia and fear beyond the decades-long conflict between North and South Korea, it is actually devoted to the themes of “avoiding war and violence, “he says.
“The topics can be quite serious, but I did my best to make the film as entertaining as possible. The organizers of the Cannes Film Festival praised the intentions of the film and the entertainment elements it contains. It is a great honor for me to show my directorial debut at the festival and I look forward to speaking with the audience after the premiere. “
Looking beyond the French Riviera, Lee sees a bright future for Korean content. He points out the main themes. squid game-Like class, financial struggles, and overcoming crazy opportunities- rang out around the world and demonstrated how countries’ stories can speak globally. “There is a lot of Korean content that’s as fun as it is squid game“So I’m sure we’ll see more similar hits,” he said. “Currently, there are many series and films from various genres that have not been released before. “These series and films will thrill and entertain audiences in many other countries.”
If Lee is right, K-pop won’t soon be the only export of Korean entertainment to the West.
Source: Deadline